This was an alright book. I mostly read this because I wanted to know more about the trial because I already know a bit about the case itself.

I didn’t like McGuire putting in her personal shit into this. Especially shit that had NOTHING to do with the case.

It was enough that I actually took notes while reading because it angered me so much.

I did like and conversely didn’t like that the parts were different perspectives. Perspective of what she went through and then perspective of the trial and leading up to the trial.

So my list of things I noted:

Why do we care that McGuire was previously married and divorced?
Why do we care that McGuire set high expectations for herself to get through school?
Why do we care about McGuire’s childhood?
Why do we care that McGuire was the first in her family to graduate college? Particularly cum lade?
Why do we care that McGuire’s child was sick before the preliminary hearing and before some of the interviews she conducted?
Why do opinions of McGuire’s peers on her demeanour in the courtroom (as being seen as being bitchy or too serious because she didn’t joke in the courtroom and is serious) matter to the case?
Why do the anecdotes about McGuire not joking in the courtroom matter?
Why do we care that McGuire and her husband went to the Greek Isles for 2 weeks before the trial?
Why do we care that McGuire had a deteriorating relationship with her husband?
Why do we care that by the end of the trial McGuire divorced her husband?
Why are the continuous problems in McGuire’s marriage even brought up?
What does McGuire’s divorce have to do with anything?
Why is McGuire’s personal feelings about the case added in? Regardless of her feelings she’s still required to do her job especially since she fought to get the case and how offended she was that she wasn’t automatically given the case.

All of that is anecdotal at best. Has nothing to do with impacting the case whatsoever. And the bits about how serious she was in the courtroom and how she might be seen as a bitch just further the image that women are suppose to be accommodating to men and be seen as pleasant else they’re just bitches. Which angers me on a lot of levels. That don’t have much to do with this book.

It was interesting to read of the lengths that McGuire went to recreate things and to make sure that she had all the facts she could straight. I plan on reading the book that Colleen Stan wound up writing about her experiences. When I can get a hold of it that is.

If you don’t mind personal anecdotes about McGuire’s personal life that have nothing to do with the case this is a decent book to read. If you do, DON’T READ THIS BOOK.